By Sofia Youngs
As of press time, authorities were still searching for the driver of a Mercedes Benz who plowed into a vehicle carrying five young females, two of whom remain hospitalized.
Police said that on Saturday evening, a driver in a Mercedes Benz collided with five females in a vehicle traveling at speeds above 80 miles per hour.
At 7:13 p.m., the male suspect in a Mercedes Benz 300 in gold crashed into five girls in a sedan between P.C.H. and Main Street. Two of the girls remain stable in the hospital while the other three have been released over the course of 48 hours.
“They have suffered severe injuries, and this is being investigated as a felony hit and run,”
Nick Nicholas, the caption of Seal Beach Police Department, said. Shortly after the incident, the suspect rested on a nearby bench in front of the Chase Bank before escaping when police arrived. The suspect fled his automobile after the incident and hid in the Old Town area for several hours, and he has yet to be apprehended. Security camera footage from a nearby company has been released to the public, however, it does not disclose any precise details about the suspect other than him wearing a maroon shirt and being between the ages of 18 and 20. As the airbag deployed when the two vehicles collided, investigators are now looking through the suspect’s car for any evidence that might help identify him.
“I was walking my dogs when I heard the crash,” Kyan Whiten, a sophomore at Los Alamitos High, said. “It sounded like a bomb was going off. It was scary,” Whiten said. Fortunately, the suspect T-boned the sedan at an angle, causing the victim’s car to spin rather than overturn, which authorities think most likely saved some of the girls’ lives. Residents of Seal Beach came to the help of the victims, who suffered fractured bones and internal injuries, shortly after the collision.
Luckily, by the time the fire department arrived, all of the trauma sufferers had safely exited the truck. As of February 14, it is unclear whether alcohol or drugs were involved in the event that caused the driver to become inebriated and crash in the intersection.
For any additional information regarding the suspect or the crash, contact the police department at (562)799-4100.
Meanwhile, the owner of the Los Alamitos Ballet Academy has started a GoFundMe account to assist the girls’ families with medical expenses (see related info).
GO FUND ME, this is not ENE reporting but the information below is only being provided as a public service.
Hello, we are the Artistic Directors of the Los Alamitos Ballet School. It is with heavy hearts that we share that five of our beloved company dancers were involved in a severe car accident this past Saturday evening. While the dancers have sustained a multitude of serious injuries, we are able to share good news that all five have survived and will journey on their road to recovery. Please know that the dancers are receiving the best care possible, but with that comes many expenses to ensure that they are each brought back to full health.
We would be so grateful for your support in raising funds to help cover the costs of the dancers’ hospital expenses. Anything you are able to donate is a blessing, and we know the families appreciate your help so much!
We are so grateful for all of your love & support. Let’s come together as one family and get our girls back to health! Thank you all.
